Glazed ceramic jug ‘Bird’, late Tang dynasty

Made of stoneware paste, covered with a white glaze with light blue speckles, characteristic of Xing yao kilns. It has a flattened pear-shaped body with two smooth circular medallions on the belly. The neck is topped with a phoenix head, with an open beak serving as a spout. The handle, shaped like a plant stem or bamboo, connects the back of the creature's neck to the shoulder of the jug. It sits on a slightly flared circular foot, the base of which shows the bare ceramic paste. Xing Yao kiln; late Tang dynasty (618–907) or later.

Size: 26.3 x 13 cm